Strikes won't ground French air traffic

French transport minister Dominique Bussereau says that planes will not be grounded at the Parisian airport after fears over fuel shortages

Leaving on a jetplane: planes at Charles de Gaulle will not be grounded (Thomas Samson)
Planes at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport will not be grounded because of
strikes and blockades at fuel refineries, according to a French transport
minister who said there were "no worries" over fuel supplies.

Aviation authorities in France had claimed that planes making short and
medium-haul flights to the capital's main airport must have enough fuel for
a return journey because of the industrial action.

Transport minister Dominique Bussereau said that although strikes had
initially shut down a pipeline in to the airport, it was now "perfectly
fed" with fuel.

Strikes and blockades at a dozen French refineries and numerous oil depots in
the last week are part of widespread protests against President Nicolas
Sarkozy's plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. More than 1m
people marched through French city streets to demonstrate against the law
change yesterday.